Dog Belonging to CEO of Richmond SPCA Dies After Being Left in Hot Car

RICHMOND, Va. – A dog belonging to the CEO of the Richmond, Va., Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals died after accidentally being left alone for four hours in her hot car.

Robin Starr's husband Ed told the Richmond Times-Dispatch that he put the 16-year-old mutt named Louie, who was deaf and blind, into his wife's vehicle on Aug. 19 as she was getting ready for work. Starr often took the dog to the office with her.

But on that day, she arrived at work without realizing Louie was in the car. Several hours later, at about noon, she saw the dog when she went out for lunch.

She took her pet inside to the SPCA clinic and then to an emergency veterinary hospital, where he later died of kidney failure.

The National Weather Service says the temperature had reached 91 degrees by noon that day.

The board of the SPCA says it still supports Starr, who has been CEO since 1997 and does not plan to resign. It was unclear whether she would be charged.